Feeding mechanism



'e. H. GUNN.

FEEDING MECHANISM.

I APPLICATION FILED JUNE 24, 1 920.

1,387,707. Patented Aug. 16,1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

IN V EN TOR.

G. H. GUNN. FEEDING MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED JUNE24,1920.

Patented Aug- 16, 1921.

INVENTOR. ewyeflfi'zuz 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

- ATTORNEY A lg ii &

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE E. GUNN, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONEJIALF TO CHARLES E. FRENCH, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

FEEDING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 16', 1921.

Application filed .Tune 24, 1920. Serial No. 391,496.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE H. GUNN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Feeding Mechanism; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and to the reference numerals marked thereon.

This invention has to do with feeding mechanism, mechanism adapted to be used with a ma chine for producing an intermittent feeding of material relative thereto, the main object of the invention being to provide a conveniently controlled and practically constructed mechanism capable of being applied to a signature stitching machine for rapidly and accurately feeding the signatures between successive stitching operations. To these and other ends the invention consists in certain improvements and combinations of parts, all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a stitching machine having one embodiment of my invention applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the bed and feeding mechanism detached from the machine.

Fig. l is Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional elevation on the line 5 -5 of Fig. 3 showing the clutch device.

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of a modified form of workbed and work feeding means.

Fig. 7 is a front elevation of the same.

Fig. 8 is a plan view of a pamphlet or signature with the stitches applied, and

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary sectional view thereof, longitudinally of the stitches.

Similar reference marks throughout the several views indicate the same parts.

The embodiment of the invention at present preferred as best illustrated the principles involved is adapted for use with a pamphlet or signature stitching machine,

a section of the line 4-at of and, more particularly, with.

such, for example, as that shown in the drawings, comprising a frame column 10 supported 011 a suitable base (not shown), having a horizontal arm 11 with a head 12 at the end thereof, the arm and head having extending therethrough and rotatably supported therein a main operating shaft indicated generally at 13, with a pulley 14, Or other suitable means, for driving the same. Head 12 carries the parts for manipulating the wire or other material of which the stitches are made comprising, generally speaking, a bracket 15, Fig. 2, supporting the wire straightening devices, wire feeding devices including the sector 16, wire cutting means 1?, a wire bending bar 18, a driving cam 19, and a driving bar 20, which parts operate in a manner well known in the art to feed, cut into lengths, bend and drive the stitches through the material. Such machines are usually provided with a plane shaped table for supporting flat work, not shown in the present instance, and also with a saddle 21 having inclined sides for supporting folded work, the saddle being conveniently made in two parts, each of which is hinged as at 22 on a support 23 projecting upwardly from the base of the machine, and the saddle has formed therein, as at 24, an opening through which the stitches are driven and below which they are clenched on the opposite side of the work by means of clencher parts 25. The above are well known elements of a common variety of stitching machine in conjunction with which the present invention may be employed but which form no part thereof and require no further description.

This invention provides means for automatically feeding the work or signatures between application of successive stitches, comprising, preferabl a bed 26 which may be formed of a single piece of sheet metal of the substantially L shape shown in Fig. 3. Secured to the rear edge of the bed is a supporting bracket 27, Fig. 1, fixed to the column 10 of the machine by means of a set screw 28. and the forward edge of the table is formed with a depending flange 29 to the rear side of which is secured, by means of a hinge 29 an extensible strut or support 30 clamped at its other end to a part of the column 10. The latter carries vertically extending lugs or posts 32, with reduced upper ends, the bed 26 being provided with openshaft 56 rotating in a ings 31 fitting over the posts and with openings 33 receiving screws for securing the bed to the posts.

As it may be desired at times to stitch the work in a flat condition on a plane support and at other times in a folded condition on a saddle with inclined sides, as already stated, bed 26 is provided with detachable portions suitable respectively for these different conditions. Fig. 1 shows one such detachable portion suitable for cooperation with the saddle, having preferably a depending flange 35 clamped to the flange 29 of bed 26 by means of manually operable screws 3st. Bed portion 36 has the shape indicated in Fig. 3 and includes a supporting arm 37 rotatably supporting at its outer end, as by means of bolts 38, a pair of inverted cone shaped rolls 39 having an inclination and arrangement adapting them for cooperation with work as supported by the saddle 21, i The outer roll 39 carries a guard flange 10 bridging the gap between the rolls at their tops to prevent the work from extending therebetween and each roll carries thereabove a gear 11 which gears intermesh and insure for the rolls uniform rate of motion. lileshing with the inner gear 11 preferably is a gear 12 rotatably supported by arm 37 and meshing in turn with a gear 43 having a spindle l t journaled at its ends in cross bars l5 bridging a recess 46 in the bed portion and supported thereon by means of bolts 4E7. Spindle 14; has fixed thereon also a beveled pinion 18 meshing with a beveled pinion a9 fixed on the outer end of a shaft section 50 rotatably supported in the depending flange of the bed portion. shaft 51 rotating in bearings depending from bed 26 is in alinement with the shaft section 50 and the ends of these shaft sections are provided with interengaging clutch parts 52 so that section 51 drives section 50 when bed portion 36 isin position. As these shaft sections are disposed adjacent the under side of the bed portions they are conveniently supported thereon in an out-of-the-way position.

The rear end of shaft 51 has fixed thereon a sprocket wheel 53 with which engages a sprocket chain 5 1 engaging at its upper end with asprocket wheel 55 fixed on a short bearing 57 on the bed and having fixed at its other end a small gear or pinion 58 meshing with a larger gear 59 on a short shaft 60 rotating in a bearing 61 on the bed. The other end of shaft 60 has fixed thereon a small gear 62 meshing with a larger gear 63 on a rotary element comprising an annular, preferably serrated, friction surface 64 projecting normally from the side of the gear. Gear 63 is rotatably carried on a spindle 64E at the rear end of which is also rotatably carried, independfor feeding the work therealong.

ently of the gear, an arm 65 provided with a bearing within which a short spindle 66 has a limited oscillation, the spindle being bifurcated at its forward endto form a clutch embracing the gripping or friction surface 6 1. The bifurcation or slot of the clutch spindle is inclined so as to create the pointed portions 68 which are thus adapted upon rotation of the spindle in a counter clockwise direction as seen in Fig. 5, to grip the friction surface, while rotation of the spindle in the opposite direction brings the slot parallel with the friction surface 64:, so that the clutch rides idly thereover. Spindle 66 has fixed thereon an arm 69 to which is pivotally attached at 69 one end of a link 70, the opposite end of which is pivotally attached to a bolt 71, adjustably clamped in an arcuate slot 7 2 in an arm 73, a scale 7 1 being provided for the adjustment of the bolt in the slot for varying the throw of link 70 by the oscillating movement of arm 73. The latter is fixed on an oscillating shaft rotatably supported in bearings 76 on the bed and having fixed on its rear end an arm 77 can rying a roller 78 hearing against a cam 7 9 fixed on the main shaft 13 of the machine. A coiled spring 80 is secured at one end to a collar 81 on shaft 75 and at its other end to one of the bearings 76 and serves to maintain roller 7 8 in engagement with the actuating cam 79.

It is apparent from the above described construction and explanation that as the main shaft 13 revolves shaft 7 5 is oscillated and oscillates the clutch spindle 66 a greater or less distance depending upon the adjustment of link 7 O in the slot of arm 73. As

A the clutch spindle is lowered it is rotated in a clockwise direction, Fig. 5, thus releasing the gripping surface 64; and arm 65 tends to drop of its own weight to enable the clutch to take a new bite on the clutch surface. A stopmember or lug 82 however, is provided on arm 65 to limit the oscillating movement of the clutch member and insure positive downward actuation of the clutch by link 70. Up ward movement of arm 73 turns the clutch into gripping relation with the friction surface of gear 63 and rotates the latter. By means of the gearing described, which is designed to multiply the motion transmitted, including sprocket chain 64, shaft 51 is rotated intermittently and through the connections described rotates the rolls 39 to feed the work a greater or less distance depending upon the desired spacing of the stitches and the corresponding arrangement of the adjustment described.- The shape of cam 79 shown in Fig. 2 is such that the rolls are rotated to feed the work between successive stitching operations. during which they are stationary and maintain the work in such relation.

When it is desired to operate upon unfolded work on a plane portion 36 is detached lowered, and the bed portion 83 shown in Figs. 6 and 7 is substituted, this portion also having a flange similar to flange of bed portion 36 which is clamped to flange 29 of bed portion 26 by the same means. Bed portion 83 is preferably formed of flat sheet metal and extends beneath the stitching mechanism of head 12, having an opening 81 through which the stitches are driven. gage 85 is adjustably supported on the bed portion for guiding the work. The bed portion has formed therein openings 86 extending transversely of the line of stitching and permitting a plurality of rolls S7 to extend upwardly from below the bed into contact with the bottom of the work. These rolls are fir-zed on a shaft section 88 rotating in bearings 89 on the under side of the bed, and is provided with a clutch portion 90 for detachable driving engagement with the shaft Bearing against rolls 87 from above are a plurality of roller disks 91 rotatably carried at the ends of supporting arms 92 pivotall mounted at 93 on brackets 9- a spring 95 being provided for pressing disks 91 against rolls 8?. Brackets 9% are clamped by means of screws 96 on an angle arm 97 extending parallel with the bed portion above the latter and supported at its inner end on a pair of posts 98 to which the arm is clamped by means of elongated nuts 99 having threaded engagement with reduced upper ends on the post.

Figs. 8 and 9 show unfolded signatures 10 in which stitches 101 have been taken, the signature having been fed along the saddle 21 or table port-ion longitudinally of the line of stitches through a distance at each operation corresponding to that between adjacent stitches.

' he operation of the machine is apparent from the above description of its construction and explanation of the functions of the parts. Either bed port-ion 36 or 83 is employed and clamped to the main bed 26 depending upon whether folded work is to be stitcned on saddle 21 or fiat work is to be stitched on table 83. The clamping of either table portion to the main bed serves to connect the corresponding shaft section with shaft 51 and after the work has been placed in position for the first stitch and the machine started in operation the stitches are made and the work automatically fed by the mechanism between stitchin operations. The amount of feed and therefore the spacing of adjacent stitches is determined by the adjustment of links 70 on arm 73. The character of construction of the clutch and shaped support, bed and the saddle is gripping or friction surface is such as to permit of delicate adjustment of the feeding throw. The operation being automatic, when once the power has been applied to the stitching machine it is maintained continuously in effect until the given pamphlet or signature has been completely stitched, and the work of the machine is thus very rapid, largely increasing the rate of production as well as the accuracy of the work as compared with the operation when feeding by hand, in which latter case the machine is generally stopped between successive stitches to feed and position the work. The construction is simple in character, convenient to regulate and readily attachable to stitching machines already in use.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a feeding mechanism for a stitching machine having a signature supporting saddle, a bed, work feeding rolls cooperating with the inclined sides of said saddle, a shaft for actuating said rolls, and operative means for intermittently rotating said shaft arranged for actuation by said machine.

2. In a feeding mechanism for a stitching machine having a signature supporting saddle. a bed, work feeding rolls cooperating with the inclined sides of said saddle, a shaft located below said bed for actuating said rolls, and operative means comprising a variable speed multiplying device for in termittently rotating said shaft arranged for actuation by said machine.

23. in attachment for a stitching machine comprising a bed having a detachable portion. a work feeding roll on said detachable portion, a shaft operatively connected with said roll and having a detachable section carried by said detachable portion, and means arranged for actuation by said machine for operating said shaft.

i. An attachment for a stitching machine provided with a work supporting saddle, comprising a bed having adetachable portion, inverted cone-shaped rolls on said detachable portion cooperating with the inclined sides of said saddle, a shaft operatively and detachably connected with said rolls, and means arranged for actuation by said machine for intermittently rotating said shaft.

An attachment for a stitching machine provided with a supporting saddle, comprising a work bed having a detachable portion, work feeding rolls on said detachable portion cooperating with the sides of said saddle, and means arranged for actuation by said machine for imparting variable intermittent rotary movement to said rolls.

GEORGE H. GUN N 

